


Murder at Midnight

by Grid888



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:34:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23400046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grid888/pseuds/Grid888
Summary: Long before Katniss and Peta many other children fought and died.This story follows 6 of them on their journey through love, hate, and vengeance.





	Murder at Midnight

**This story follows 6 main characters on their journey towards victory.**

Percy Odair: Volunteer from district 4. Age 15

Ash Rosette: Reaped from district 5. Age 12

Aurora Rosette: Volunteer from district 5. Age 16

Apollo Dexter: Reaped from district 8. Age 14

Hannah Paxton: Volunteer from district 8. Age 15

Cinor Willock: Reaped from district 11. Age 17

* * *

**Let The Games Begen!**

Percy: I look around me as the timer starts. I am on a stone hill, and to one side of me is a forest and to the other another hill. The hill continues higher up, barren except for a few trees. I turn my attention away from the scenery and examine the competition. About 5 meters to my left is a skinny girl from district 12 and to my right the male from District 11, a big and strong brute. I searched the faces for Sapphire, my district partner, and spotted her on the other side. Our eyes meet across the field and she nods to me, slightly signaling towards the forest. I nod as I straighten up and prepare to run. A voice echoes around the cornucopia, counting down, “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, let the Games begin!” The arena explodes in a chorus. I look around and see people sprint for the woods and meadows, while the rest charge toward the center. I can see and feel the fear and excitement everywhere. Everyone is terrified and desperate which is proof of what we will do to survive. I stand still for a moment, lost in thought. Then snapping myself out of it I search for Sapphire. I spot her on my left and run towards her. But out of nowhere, a boy runs straight into me, knocking me to the ground. “Please….,” he cries as I scramble for a knife lying on the ground nearby and hold it over him. “Please don’t kill me,” he begs. I look at him and examine his face. He is just a boy, barely even twelve. He is too young to die so early on in the game and I don't want to draw blood this early in the games. “Here,” I say as I throw him my knife, and quickly add, “just this time though.” I run over and join Sapphire, who is patiently waiting for me, a bag in one hand and a knife in the other, she smirks but doesn't say anything, and together we run into the woods.

Ash: For a second I sit, stunned at what just happened. The kid just saved my life! A scream pulls me back to the present. I jump up and search my surroundings, looking for Aurora. I don’t see her so I know I should try to get out of here. I turn and sprint towards the trees. I am good at climbing and I might be able to hide from everyone until I find Aurora. I run as fast as I can because I know I have to put some distance in between myself and the Cornucopia. I keep running even though I feel like I will collapse at any moment. As I slow down I scan the trees for a good one to climb. I choose a big oak tree because it has a long trunk and lots of branches higher up so I will be able to hide. I scale the tree and settle in as comfortable as possible on a big branch. Now all I have to do is play the waiting game, so that gives me plenty of time to think about my survival status. I have no water or food, only the knife the career gave me. I take a deep breath and try to calm down. I should wait for Aurora to find me, but what if she doesn't know where I am? Aurora: I sprint towards Ash. He is my only family, and if anything happened to him I will never forgive myself. I almost reach him when a career jumps in front of me. “Oh, where do you think you're going?” She says as she grabs me by the wrist. I desperately try to free myself. I can see Ash only a few meters away but there is the male from district 4 standing over him and it’s clear he’s about to die. ”Let go of me, please!” I cry, knowing every moment could determine Ash’s death. I struggle to escape her grip but the girl only laughs. All of a sudden her grip loosens and she falls, sprawled, on top of me. I push her limp body off of me and I see an arrow in her back. I look up to see a cute boy smiling at me with a drawn bow in his hands. I am about to thank him when a career runs up behind him stabbing a knife into the boy’s neck. The boy falls to the ground and the career turns around, his attention drawn to someone else. Not noticing me on the ground, I crawl next to the boy. He is crying and blood is trickling from his mouth. “Thank you,” I say, my voice shaking. He smiles weakly and pushes his bow into my hands, “take it, you’ll need it more than me”. “Thank you, thank you so much,” I say. I lean down and kiss him on the forehead before standing up and running into the woods.

Hannah: I run towards the edge of the Cornucopia, grab a backpack and an ax, and then sprint back up the hill, my heart racing. I try to form a plan while running away. I am strong and smart and can probably take out a few people, but I have to consider Apollo as well. I already know that Apollo had a crush on me. He has had it for years. He even told Julius Flickerman the commentator that he loved me in front of the whole country, and now they’re calling us star-crossed lovers. I don't care what they say. I will do whatever is needed to win.

Cinor: I am running away from the cornucopia when I see a body on the floor. It's Lucy. She has a huge gash on her head and is lying lifelessly on the floor. I kneel down on the ground next to her. Her face is pale and her forehead is covered in blood, her deep brown eyes all glossy, staring ahead at nothing. I shut her eyelids and stood up and took the necklace I gave to her in the small package before the games. I look back at her one more time then dash off into the woods where no one can see me crying. Branches whip my faces and thorns cut my legs but I ignore them only to get as far away from here as possible. Percy: Side by side, we run together, effortlessly dodging rocks and branches. As we continue through the forest Sapphire comments, “You know you’re going to have to kill people. Even if they’re young, anyone can be a threat!” I roll my eyes. “You sound like our mentor, and I know what you mean. But he was very young and I didn’t want to feel guilty about killing a helpless tribute.” Sapphire stops running and turns to me. I stop and face her. She looks upset, though I’m not sure why. “I don't know if you've noticed, but everyone here is kids. I know your personality Percy, you’re kind and gentle, but if you want to win you’re going to have to kill, and it doesn’t matter who the victim is.” I respond, “That’s what I'm worried about.” She sighs and continues to run, I sprint to catch up with here and we fall in pace together running away from death and towards safety. Ash: I walk in the woods in search of Aurora when I hear a sound. I freeze in fear, afraid that it might be a career. I looked around the clearing, but there was no one there. I lean back, taking a deep breath. If only I could find Aurora.”Hey!” a familiar voice called. “Look down, little brother!” It was her! “Aurora! You’re ok! I was so worried!” I cry back. “I was scared, I almost got killed!” I say, throwing myself into her arms. “It’s okay, now that we're together. We can look out for each other.” Aurora says, smiling at me. Aurora: We sit down and pick up some stick and play them like a drum on my bag, I can't help it, I'm nervose and need something to do. “Hey, Arora ” Ash whispers, “I feel like we're being watched.” I can’t help but snort “Well that’s not surprising, considering we are on national television.” “No, but for real, please take out your knife,” he says and hearing the fear in his voice I pull out my knife as I roll my eyes. Cinor: I walk in a daze for 2 hours, lost in thought. All I want to do is to win this for Lucy. I stop because I hear voices. Quietly, I duck behind some bushes and look into the clearing, two people are sitting around a pond. I move to get a better look but… Aurora, Ash, and Cinor: Ash and Aurora sat down near the little pond to drink some water and rest. All of a sudden Cinor popped out from the bushes behind Ash. “one move and the little one goes!” Aurora draws her knife but doesn't move. “Who are you,''She asked trying to hide the fear. Cinor laughed and said “I think I should be asking the questions, but ok. my name is Cinor, I am from district 11 and I would like to be allied with you.” Ash glanced at Aurora uneasily. “Doesn't look like we have much of a choice,” chuckled Aurora weakly. “Alright then here’s a knife, I advise you to use that wisely.” “Happy to help, because allies help each other,” said Cinor generously.

Apollo: I sigh. my hope of traveling with Hannah is destroyed! “you should get out of here before the careers come!” calls a boy as he dashes towards the trees, closely followed by a girl. “Wait, can I come with you?” I call, but they just disappear into the forest and don’t answer (why is everybody so fast?). So I sprinted after them, knowing that they will either become my killer or my ally once we meet. It doesn't matter, I can't win on my own and I don't have much to lose anyway.

Hannah: After running for a while, I come across a small creek and sit down on a rock to fill up my bottle and rest. “What should I do?”, I say quietly to myself. I continue to walk away for a while, hoping to find and make allies. I settle down by a stream and open up the bag I picked up from the cornucopia. I look through it and find an empty water bottle and a rain jacket. However, the rain jacket is bright green, which makes me visible to anyone within a mile. So, I wade into the creek, scoop up mud from the bottom and smear it across my jacket, covering the whole thing, then set it out on a rock to dry. Then I begin to fill my bottle with water that I can only hope is clean. I freeze as I see a shadow dart behind me from the bushes. “Make one move and you will regret it,” a small voice said behind me. I turned around to see a terrified boy trembling in fear. I almost laugh until I see a dagger in his hand pointed at my neck, on closer I look I realize that... “Hey, that's mine!” I snap. I jump on him and snatch it out of his hand before he realizes what happened. In a flash, I have the knife to his throat. “Are you sure about that, kid?” I say, almost tauntingly.“Please,” he whispers. “I can help you kill the careers.” Now, this draws my attention, because if I kill the careers, my only potential threat, not much else can stop me from winning. They are the only group of people I fear. I leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Fine, you can live. but don’t think that anything will stop me from killing you.” He looks at me, completely petrified and slowly nods. “Ok, so what’s your plan?” I ask.

Percy: Sapphire and I run away from the Cornucopia. “Where should we go?” asks Sapphire. “Let us see if there is a river or something to replenish our supplies, then we will have the advantage.” “Ok,” she agrees. Immediately, she stops running and feels the rocky ground. “I don’t think we are near any water,” She says with uncertainty. Her terrain skills are impressive and I feel lucky that we are on the same team. I sigh. “Alright, let's move on.” We continue to walk away from the Cornucopia in search of water. “Hey!” someone called from behind us. I swiftly turn around and draw my sword. out of the corner of my eye, I see Sapphire already has her bow drawn. My eyes follow here's to a boy. The same boy I saw standing around in the cornucopia earlier.” I straighten up and say as gruffly as possible “Hands up,” “Please don’t hurt me, we can be allies.” he whispers I look at Sapphire but she looks away. This is my decision to make and she knows that. I look back at the boy. He has broad shoulders and long legs, he holds in his hand a slender sword but when I look in his face I can see right away he is not going to last long without help. “Ok, you can stay with us,” I say out of the corner of my eye I see Sapphire frown but I know she will respect my decision. “My name is…” I begin but the boy cuts me off before I finish “Percy, you're from district four right?” “Yeah,” I say surprised that he knew anything about me. “I am Apollo, I'm from district 8” I nodded and turned away and announced “we should keep moving if you followed us then someone else might have” I turn around and see Sapphire scowling. I ignore her though and continue through the brush.

Ash: We set up camp in a small cave on the side of a hill Arora starts picking up branches “What are you doing?” I ask “We can’t make a fire” “No of course not,” she said smiling, “I am going to try to camouflage the cave entrance so it is harder to find” “oh,” I say embarrassed that I did not realize something so obvious. “It’s getting dark” Cinor warns “we should get inside” “can we wait to see the names?” even though I won’t admit it I want to see if the boy who saved me ”I don’t think it will hurt after all the careers probably wouldn't want to go out at night they would be easily ambushed,” I smile and look at Cenor to see what he thinks he shrugs and sits down on a rock. Quietly we all look up at the sky.

Aurora: We settle down on the grass in front of the cave Ash lays his head on my lap and looks up at the sky. I brush the hair out of his way and whisper so only he can hear “it’s going to be ok, I will protect you” He looks up at me and his eyes shine with tears “it’s going to be okay” I repeat he nods but I can tell he doesn't believe me. I am used to protecting him all my life. That's what I’ve done and now I know this is out of my control.

Cinor: I can’t help but watch Aurora and Ash. They remind me of Lucy even though we weren’t related. She lived next door to me and we often took care of her and her siblings when their parents were busy. She was almost like my sister. Suddenly music begins to play the horrible song of the capital. I look up at the sky and the first face appears is a girl from district 1, then the boy from 3 and the boy and girl from district 6. Then a girl from district 7, the girl from 9 and then I see Lucy face smiling down at me. I cry because I know I will never see her again. I remember the promise I made to her: a few lone tears stroke down my face, I look away so the others don’t see but it’s too late. “Are you ok?” Aurora asks. I am surprised to hear the concern in her voice. I nod, “yeah it’s just my district mate died and it just feels weird knowing I will never see her again; she was like my little sister.” “I am sorry,” she whispers looking down at Ash asleep in her lap.

Apollo: We sat together in a small clearing that Percy found. It reminds me of a place I used to play in growing up but this time the game is much more serious. I look over at the girl and Percy, they are whispering loudly and I know they are talking about me. I watch as she gets up and storms out of the clearing. Percy rolls his eyes, comes over and sits down next to me. “ Are things going to be ok with the two for you?” I ask uncertainty“Yeah” Percy sighs “It’s just that Sapphire thinks that you will slow us down and give us away or something like that. Fours don’t usually alliance with anyone other than carers so you can understand why she is skeptical.” “Why didn't you guys join the careers?” I ask Percy to sigh and look down at his hands. I can tell he debated whether to tell me “Careers are bloodthirsty and cruel, I, we don’t want to be with them” I nod because I agree with him, whether I die or not I don't ever want to be like them. “Does Sapphire agree with you about not joining the careers?" I ask nervously knowing that it's not really my business "Well", Percy signs “she hates the careers as much as me but… I don’t know, you shouldn't worry about it though she is just a little pissed but she will get over it. “ Why did you let me stay with you guys?” I ask tentatively Percy looks straight at me and says straight out “Because you need help and even though Sapphire doesn't agree I think you can help us too.” 

Hannah: The music plays as faces appear in the sky.“So can we start?" I ask impatiently as the music stops. He looks at me and there are tears in his eyes. I don’t ask because I know his district partner died. “Stop being a baby, only one person can survive" I snap “you should be happy you don’t have to kill her yourself” I snap he glares at me and quickly wipes his tears” "Ok so can we finish planning now?” I demand. He is really getting on my nerves. He can tell I am angry so he quickly explains what he wants to do. “So I think I know how to activate the explosives at the cornucopia. If you can dig them out I can activate them then we can plant them around the carer camp.” I look over at him unable to hide my surprise at the brilliance of his plan. Yes, it's risky and dangerous but if it works it will be totally worth it. “Sounds like a pretty good idea," I admit "we can dig the explosives up tomorrow,”. As I lie looking at the night sky I am too excited to sleep, we have a plan can get rid of our careers without getting hurt which means I could be home with my family in just a few days. That is of course if West can do what he says he can. He is from district 3, and I have heard that people from district 3 are smart so I just have to hope he knows whats he doing. 

Percy: Even though I told Apollo everything was fine between me and Sapphire I am worried. She is stubborn and I hope she will understand that we need Apollo as much as he needs us. I look over at her as she is looking down at her hands and for a second I think she is crying, even though I know that's not something she would ever do. I stand up and walk over to her sitting at her side and look up at the dark sky. “It’s so much like the one at home it’s hard to believe its fake just something designed to play with our brain” I whisper more to myself than to her. To my surprise, she looks at me and whispers “You are going to have to kill him in the end and me too” she says with a sigh “ your one of the strongest victors and there’s only one way to win ” I look at her surprised “I don’t want to kill people….” “But you have to.” she interrupts “There can only be one victor and it's going to be you ” I look at her in horror “Come on we are allies the point is to protect each other and to stick together, you can’t think like that” I sighed putting my arm on her shoulders. “Percy you have to live for Comet he needs you, I have no one to live for, and I never will, it's not by chance that we both got reaped its destiny. I know I can’t win but I promise I will do my best to help you win. I’ve lost my family, I’ve lost my home, I got nothing left to lose but you do which is why you have to win ” I look at her sadly and pull her into a hug because I know it is true. We straighten back up and I ask her. “Why don’t you trust Apollo?” She looks at me and sighs “Do you really believe the lovebird nonsense, love is not worth risking your life for, especially for someone you hardly know. No, I think there is stuff he is not telling us, I will fight by your side until the end of time, but never with him.” I flow down in the grass and she lays down next to me resting her head on my chest, I wrap an arm around her shoulder and listen to the peaceful night.

Ash: I open my eyes and see Arora, her eyes are closed but I can tell she is not sleeping. I sit up and whisper where “ where is Connor”. Arora answered quietly “ he went out to check the surrounding, he should be back soon. We sat there for the next 30 minutes playing games and enjoying our time together while we still can. I let out a small yawn and she smiles sadly “why don’t you go back to sleep”? she suggests I lay down resting my hair in her lap and close my eyes as I drift to sleep.

Aurora: Once Ash falls asleep I pull the blanket over myself and look up at the sky. Dad used to take me out to look at them. He taught me about the stars, the plants, how to hunt and how to sing. Both my parents fought for freedom, but unfortunately, they got shot in the head when we were kids. We cried for days, mourning over our parents who sacrificed their lives over for us. Since then, I have raised him and I know my dad would have wanted me to protect him. Snapping twigs nearby brings me back to reality. I turn around to see a scrawny boy. He has a knife and I can tell he is about to throw it. I reach for my bow but they are across the clearing with our bags. Instantly, I move in front of Ash, knowing that I will fight to the death to protect him. He throws a knife aimed right for Ash’s head. I don’t think about myself. I move in front of him and I feel horrible pain as the knife digs into my shoulder. I don't move determined to protect Ash. I look down at him and whisper, “it’s going to be ok.” I use my body to shield and protect my baby brother and wait for the blow that I know is coming. I hear a slash and a “thump”, but I’m too scared to look back. “ it’s safe now,” a voice said. I turn to see Cenor standing over the boy’s body. He leans down and closes the kid's eyes, before turning to me. “are you ok?” he says, rushing over. “yeah,” I groan. “can you take the body away? I really don’t want Ash to see it.” he nods and takes the body away. The near-death experience really brought me back to reality. I know it’s likely that I will die but now it feels so much more realistic. Cinor comes down and begins to carefully wrap my shoulder suddenly, I realize: someone has to take care of Ash, and if I die, who will?

Cinor: I wrap Aurora’s arm, trying to be as careful as possible, though I can tell that she is in pain. “Cinor, can you do something for me?” She whispers. I look at her, surprised. “uh, sure,” I stammer. I am not really sure what to say. “Will you promise that if anything happens to me, you will protect Ash? Please, he is so young, he doesn’t deserve to die.” I glance at her bloody bandage, bright red against her pale skin, then I look back at Ash sleeping contently in the grass. They both need my help and I know it. “I solemnly swear on Lucy’s grave that if anything happens to you I will do my best to help Ash,” I say quietly. “Thank You,” She sighs with relief.

Apollo: As the sun rises we pack up our things and head off, in search of water. I am happy to see Percy and Sapphire talking again as they walk side by side, but I can’t help wishing Hannah was with me. I sigh and kick a rock. Alerted, both Percy and Sapphire swing around, weapons drawn. “Wow, guys calm down, ” I say, embarrassed. I hear Sapphire sigh and roll her eyes as they put away their weapons. I hadn't really realized how differently we were raised, in 8 nobody trains, if your name is drawn there is nothing you can do and you won't win so people don't even try, its different for district 4 they don't train like in 1 and 2 but they still prepare themselves, so it makes sense that they know what there doing. Percy comes over and for a while, we walk next to each other in silence “is it true?” he asks out of the blue “do you really like the girl?” I sigh and look down. It's not hard to guess who he’s talking about “to be honest I am not sure, all my life I have thought she was beautiful and I have been trying to gain up the courage to speak to her for years so when she volunteered for her sister, I don’t know. I just couldn't imagine a home without her, I just did”. I say sadly. “Your parents must have been mad”. “Not really there are so many kids at my place they have trouble keeping track. I doubt anyone will miss me,” I say with a sigh. “I will,” Percy says raping an arm around me “I will”

Hannah: As we run to the cornucopia I review the plan. “Ok, I will dig up the bombs,” I say. “quickly bring them back and then you can reactivate them.” "Are you sure you know where they are buried?” “Of course,” he said confidently “well roughly" he mutters. "you better be, right,” I say with a sigh. “come on let's hurry” we run through the trees to the cornucopia. I look into the now empty clearing before darting out “which way?” we run to the first podium and I carefully began digging “they won’t blow up, right?" I ask nervously “no don’t worry until I reactivate them they are pretty safe.” he tries to reassure me but it does nothing to calm my nerves“pretty safe?” I croak nervously. “Just handle them carefully and everything will go well.” He instructs and I nod nervously. I continue to dig in the soft dirt for a moment and then touch something metal "alright,” I say nervously "I think I have it" I reach my hand into the cool soil and pull out a small metal ball. The explosive. I place it carefully in the bag “ok come on let's go get the other ones,” I say. Even though West said the bombs are safe right now I am still feel on edge, who wouldent if they were carrying around enough explosives to blow themselves to pieces. We move on to the next podium when we hear a canon ring to mark another death. Quickly we dig up the next one and the continue to the next, we are on the 5th one when we hear voices. The carers I whisper loudly “come on we have to go” I grab the bomb and place it in the bag, we run out of the clearing trying to keep the bag still. I hear shouting behind me and quicken my pace“follow me” I call to West I” ahhhhh” he cries I ignore him running to our hiding spot, a big brush that provides a perfect hideout and climbing through the hole in the shrubbery. A second later West climbs in and we sit together in complete silence. We hear voices shouting. I barely breathe as the voices get farther and farther away, when I can't hear them anymore I let out a deep breath and turn to West “alright let's activate these babies get rid of those awful careers” “about that” he whispers quietly he moves his arm to reveal a deep gash in his stomach “can you still activate the bombs” I ask because to be honest, I don’t really care if he dies but killing the carers is my main priority. I am smart ok I am saying it know just as a fact and I can tell West is the kinda person that needs to be babied so I whisper quietly “it's going to be ok dude” I say quietly rolling my eyes when he is not looking “come on you can do this, if we can get rid of the careers we make the games fair.” he looks up at me his eyes glassy I help him sit up and he begins to fiddle with the controls. I slip outside and sit down on a rock, my head in my hands and take a deep breath.

Percy: We have been walking for a while, me ahead with Sapphire, and Apollo trampling behind us. “Could you stop being so loud for two minutes, your going to give us away?” She growls swinging around to face him. Even though I like Apollo I have to admit he does not know how to be quiet. I put a hand on her shoulder whisper to her “try and be nice” but she ignores me. Apollo takes a step back from her and falls into a small creek. “hey guys there’s water here!” he says victoriously. I run over to see a small creek barely noticeable but feel with clear water. We fill our bottles relishing the cool taste. I turn to Apollo and smile “ Good job I would never have seen it.” He smiles smugly but Sapphire just rolls her eyes and says“If we follow this we might be able to find a lake or a big water area if we so being from district 4 will give us a huge advantage” I nod “yeah but for now we should set up camp here before it gets too dark”.

Ash: I gather grains quietly as I listen to Aurora and Cinor talk about their life back in the districts. I call over to them, “why do we have to do this? It’s so boring!” They both laugh and Aurora said good-naturedly, “I know it’s boring, but these grains are filling and we are almost out of food.” “Yeah,” Cinor adds. “who knew two teens and a boy would eat so much!” “What!” I say laughing “Who are you calling a boy?” We laugh and resume our work. I sigh and look at the sun setting behind Arora and Cinor. They look so happy if I didn't know I would have thought they were just a girl and a boy on a date. Even though I know it won’t last long and even though we are in a game where kids have to kill each other, I am happy that she can be happy for once.

Aurora: I have to admit I am having fun with Connor. He is so sweet and it is hard to believe we are in the hunger games.”Why don’t we sleep here? I say it is so pretty and peaceful plus no one will find us in the grass” I suggest happily. “Sure,” Conor said with a smile. We settle down in the grass me in the middle with Ash one side of me and Cenor the other. We are quiet for a moment when Ash turns to Cinor “So what's it like in eleven?” He asks cheerfully. Cinor instantly looks uncomfortable but says “Uhh well I have 3 younger brothers and an older sister and we live with my mom” he turns to me his eyes dark and serious “My father was shot when I was 9 for trying to steal a piece of bread to feed my family” he looks down at his hands and whispers “my sister died shortly afterward of malnourishment, that's why I loved Lucy so much she reminded me of Emma. I wrap my arms around him and we sit quietly for a moment together. 

Cinor: Arora's arms are strong and firm and as I lean into her I know that she is my lighthouse in this dark moment and I will do anything for her. I feel Arora's head falls forward, I hadn't realized she was asleep. I lower her head into my lap and look over at Ash. He is frowning at something in his hand. “What's that?” I ask. Ash looks up and I see tears on his cheeks “come here” I say gently. He shifts over next to me and I wrap my arm around him. He looks up at me, his eyes deep and serious. ”My mom gave me this before she died, it's a love stone she said that if someone ever holds the stone, who loves someone more than life itself then the stone will heat up and glow bright red. She told me to keep it and when my moment came I would know.” “He looks out into the woods, “but I don’t think I will ever have the chance to love someone like that.” I look away and don’t say anything because I don’t want to lie to him. We sit in silence each deep in thought.

Apollo: We continue to follow the creak as the sun sets over the forest. “Let's set up camp here” Percy calls and I let out a sigh of relief as I collapse on the ground too tired to walk any further. Sapphire rolls her eyes but takes of her bad and begins to set up camp. Percy nods before turning and heading into the wood “hey I’m going to go to the bathroom.” he calls over his shoulder. “Wait!” Sapphire calls out “take a knife just in case” he nods, slipping it in in a pocket, “thanks,” he says smiling at her as he walks away. I turn to Sapphire and try to start a polite conversation, “so uh how do you know Percy?” she turns to me and snaps all trace of a smile gone. “Ok cut the small talk, we are both allies with Percy, but trust me if it was my choice you would be dead!” I turn to her getting mad, I know I shouldn't but I can't help myself from snapping back “I never did anything to you since we met all you do is treat me like garbage! I don’t understand why Percy would want to be with someone like you, all you do is make trouble and pick fights!” “Oh yeah!" She growls drawing her knife "well all you do is stomp around all day talking about your girlfriend! Name one useful thing you have done so far, your pathetic!” we continue to shout tensions rising when someone shouts “Enough both of you why don’t you light a beacon while you are at it, do you want to tell everyone where we are or what!” We turn around to see Percy madder than I have ever seen him. “What is wrong with you guys?” he growls, “I go to take a piss and you guys almost kill each other.” I am about to defend myself when Sapphire turns to me rolling her eyes and mutters “sorry for snapping at you.” I am totally surprised by the change of attitude but stammer back “It's ok I am sorry for getting mad.” I look over at Percy but he just smirks.

Hannah: I jump at the sound of a canon, another kid dead. I stretch and look up at the sky there falling through the trees is a parachute I reach up and it falls in my hands. I tear off the parachute and open the box, to reveal a small canister inside carefully I pulled it out. I unscrew the lid to reveal a bright yellow cream. Attached to it is a note, it says ‘Hope this helps, we’re cheering for you - District 3” I look around and then slip it in my pocket. I then stand up and slip back into the shelter. West is sitting on the floor, he is still working on the bombs but he is very pale and is leaning against a branch for support. I walk over to him and offer some water “thanks” he crooks grabbing it from my hands and downing the whole thing. When it is empty he reaches for the next bomb and begins to fiddle with the controls again. “How many are left?” I asked, unable to wait “2 more” he coughs then turns to the side and coughs. I look over to see a puddle of blood. He moves his hand and looks down at his stomach, I almost puke from the sight I see his stomach is torn up and his shirt is soaked in blood. He looks up at me and whispers “I’m going to die”

Percy: We sit together, Apollo and I, and I skip stones while we talk. We have are becoming friends and although I have to say he is a little clumsy he clearly has a kind heart and good intentions. We stop talking as we hear a familiar beeping sound. It is the sound that every tribute longs to hear but rarely does a package fall down landing softly at my feet I look down and pick it up cautiously. It's a sword with a perfect blade long and sharp, picking it up fills me with the feeling of power and strength. “Wow’” Apollo gasps though I am too surprised to answer. I look over at Sapphire who sits further down the beach, our eyes meet both in awe. “Hey there’s a note here” Apollo remarks I snatch it from his hands and scan the card. In bold letters, it says “make us proud son” I smile, at the thought of my family and turn to look over at Sapphire wondering if she understands. I watch as she stands up and walks out of the clearing without saying a word. “Just a second,” I say to Apollo as I hurry after her. I follow her through the bushes and call out “Sapphire wait!”She stops and turns around, her face red "Please Percy don't!" she says with a sigh "Do you know what it is like to walk around knowing you’re not going to survive the week, god Percy not everyone is as lucky as you!” She stops and falls to her knees, murmuring "I don't want to die". Without hesitation, I kneel down beside her. Wrapping my arms around her I whisper. ”I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”

Aurora: I wake with the sun on my face. I realize with a start that I am laying in Cinor’s lap though I have no idea how I got there. I look up at his face so peaceful his back resting against the tree. I sit up and look over at Ash. I smile at his adorable face and then freeze on his arm is a huge spider. I jump to my feet waking Cinor “what happened?” he asks still groggy from sleep. I point at Ash and he freezes as well scared that we might scare it. I watch to my horror as Ash opens his eyes he is about to get up but I whisper “Ash please don’t move” He looks at me confused “please” I whisper pointing to his arm he looks down and his face turns white. I watch in horror as the spider begins to walk up to his arm and then stops without warning and digs its fangs into his arm. I jump forward hitting the spider off his arm but it has already done its damage. On Ash’s arm are two small holes where the spider bit him and his arm is already beginning to swell.’OMG Ash!”

Ash: I try to stand up but I feel dizzy so I lay back down and my arm hurts but I don’t have the courage to look at it. I have never seen Arora so scared her face is white I can hear her talking but her voice is muffled and I feel like I have something in my ear. Quietly I drift off to sleep.

Apollo: I sit up brushing myself off. I look around and notice that Percy and Sapphire have not come back yet. I walked through the bushes where they went yesterday. I come through to find them lying side by side both sleeping deeply. Gently I kick Percy and he jumps up immediately “what” he snaps scanning the area. Even though I know I shouldn't I find it funny how both Sapphire and Percy are always on edge being with them you would think you were standing on a bomb or something. Noticing that nothing is wrong Percy frowns at me “why did you wake me?” he asks accusingly. I smile and nod towards Sapphire, his face instantly softened. I feel bad for him “I know how you feel” I say quietly he looks confused and, remembering how I feel about Hannah and nods in acknowledgment but turns his attention back to Sapphire. ”You know there can only be one victor,” I say quietly knowing what he is thinking. He looks up at me his face despite “how do you know they won’t change the rules?” he said “or we can escape” he sighs slumping back down “I know it is stupid but” he turns around to look at her “ but I could never kill her”

Hannah: I looked down at West’s body; he didn't even last the night. His eyes are open and look glassy staring at me accusingly. I kick it out of my way as I pick up the bomb putting them one by one into my bag. I step over his body and out of the bush without a second glance. Now all I have to do is track down the careers and set up the bombs without getting caught. The last time I saw them was when they were chasing us away from the Cornucopia so they must have been by here to have heard us. I spend the day trekking through the forest because I am not really sure where I am going. At around midday a girl runs in front of me she has a large gash on her leg and looks completely terrified, for a second she reminds me of my sister, then I throw my ax at her head. It hits her in the center of her forehead. She falls to her knees, her eyes glassy. “Sorry I whisper as I walk forward and pull the ax out of her head as her lifeless body falls to the floor. I don't look, I just walk away the blood dripping from my ax.

Cinor: Arora and I have been taking care of Ash all day with no signs of improvement. I look down at Ash’s body, his skin is pale and he is curled up in a small ball so that he looks like he is half his usual size. “How is he?” Arora asks coming up behind me. Her voice is low and fears full and she sounds very different from the girl I knew yesterday. “Not any better,” I say sadly “do you have the water?” I asked “maybe it will help? She takes out the small bottle and hands it to me. I unscrew the lid and gently pour it between his lips. But instead of drinking it he coughs it up moaning quietly. I look at her exchanging what words can’t express. She sits down next to him and holds his hand brushing the hair from his damp forehead. I want to comfort her but I am not sure what to say. 

Percy: It’s growing dark but we continue walking “guys can we stop? We have been following this stream all day. Have you thought that maybe there is no lake? Why do you even want to find a lake?” Apollo complains. I see Sapphire about to snap at him but she sees me watching and stops herself. I turn to him and explain “Our biggest enemy is the careers and if we find a lake not only will we be able to find food we will also have the advantage to anyone who comes after us.” Apollo laughs sarcastically “Sorry to point out the one flaw in your plan but I don’t know how to swim.”What will I do?” Even though he is talking with an attitude I see that he is actually very scared. I calmly “There are probably lots of trees for you to climb. You can hide up there.” “plus,” Sapphire ads scowling “who would waste their energy trying to kill you?” Apollo straightens up and says “I take that as a compliment.” Sapphire frowns annoyed that she got outdone. “Let's stop here,” she says flatly.

Arora: The sun sets but I don’t bother to watch it. I am still holding Ash’s hand but it is cold and white. I brush the hair out of his eyes and whisper “it’s going to be alright” But I say it half-heartedly and the words feel empty and dead. I look over my shoulder at Cinor, he is sitting against the tree, for hours not moving or saying anything. I am about to stand up when I hear a sound that sounds like it is from the heavens. I look up into the dark night sky and see a small package attached to a parachute falling slowly to the ground I jump up and stretch my hands out to catch if it lands in my hands and I carefully open the package. Inside is a tiny box that fits in the palm of my hand opening it up I see a tiny pill. Cinor who is looking over my shoulder gasps “wow” “what?” I say looking over at him. “You don’t know what that is?” he asks, his eyes wide. “It's a healer pill they are REALLY expensive I don’t know if it's true but I heard that Snow himself uses them” We both look down at my hand imagining the possibility of the pill. I kneel down and carefully make Ash swallow the pill.

Ash: I open my eyes and look up at the dark sky not sure how long I have been asleep. As I sit up and stretch I notice that my arm is swollen. I hold it up in the early morning light to examine it. It looks disgusting. There is a white spot where I got bitten and everything around it is bright pink. It itches and I scratch it desperately hoping to relieve the pain. “Stop it,” a voice says behind me. I turn around to see Arora smiling down at me. She has tears in her eyes. She smiles and sits down next to me. “How are you feeling?” she says gently examining my arm. “ ok,” I say, shrugging, trying to be brave. She smiles and wraps her arms around me as she whispers “thank god you’re ok”

Hannah: I take a deep breath and look through the branches at the carriers they are sitting in a circle talking completely oblivious to the fact that they are about to be blown up, I can’t help but smile as I place the last bomb. Carefully I lean down and tap in the time 1 minute should be long enough right? I start the time and turn around and run, faster than I ever thought possible into the forest.

Percy: We are sitting in a circle on the water's edge, Sapphire is leaning against a tree and Apollo stretched out on the ground. Sapphire has been sharpening a stick for no reason except for the fact that she wants to intimidate Apollo. She puts the knife down and places her hand next to mine so that they are touching. I look up at her but she looks away as if it was an accident. I’m just about to say something when I hear a loud explosion, I jump up Sapphire next to me I see smoke rising up from the trees. “That’s where the Careers are,” Apollo says as he climbs to his feet. Sapphire just rolls her eyes at him. I ignore them and turn my attention to the smoke that is rising up by where we know their camp is. “Well guys life just got much easier,” I say turning to them with a smile as 4 canons sound.

Cinor: We sit quietly as the sun goes down, Arora is laying on the ground probably asleep and Ash and I are passing a rock back and forth out of sheer boredom. Suddenly the music starts and we both look up at the sky in silence. The first face in the sky is the boy from district one followed by the girl and boy from 2 and then to my surprise the guy from district 9. I turn to ash “he must have been hiding near them I say I with a shrug”. He doesn't answer. “Hey man,” I tell him as I pull him into a hug “It’s going to be ok” he sighs but does not say anything.

Arora: We start off the day by continuing north. we walk the whole day while joking and laughing. “can we take a break?” ash groans, sure I say with a shrug dropping my bag to the ground and flopping down beside it. I pull out the water bottle and take a swig before passing it to Cinor. I lay down in the grass and look up at the trees. Suddenly I heard a twig snap. I jumped up looking around “grab the stuff,” I say “No” Conor argues “we can stay and fight” “What about Ash” I point out “Now come on let us go” I grab a bag swinging it over my shoulder. “Come on Ash move it” Ash just groans in protest, too tired to walk. Cinor sighs and lifts him up throwing him over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes "come on" I whisper "let's hurry up" “wait, no!!!” ash wines but we ignore him.

Ash: I try to get out of Connor's grasp but he's really strong and doesn't let go, they don’t understand! We run for a few minutes, (well Arora and Cinor run I bounce up and down on Connors back). We stop and Conor practically collapses on the floor. “Wow dude what did you eat bricks?" he says with a chuckle before adding "you're really heavy”. I ignored him and choked back a sob “What's wrong” Arora asked worriedly. “My stone,” I sob “my stone from mom, I dropped it in when we left”. Aroras quits for a moment then says “I’m sorry ash, I really am but there is no way we are going back, mom would not have wanted you to die for it, and neither do I.” “But” “We're not going back for it, so drop it” I sigh and sit down.

Percy: I step into the clearing with my trident drawn, cause I swear I heard someone talking. I’m about to leave when I notice something, I lean down and pick up a small red stone, I rub my hand over the smooth surface and then slip it in my pocket. Before turning around and heading back to camp. As I step onto the beach I see Sapphire waist-deep in the water knife out eyes focused, while Apollo sits on the water's edge cutting up a fish. I sat down beside him and said, “Nice, did you catch it?” I ask though obviously he didn't “Nah it was sapphire” he says slowly. I snort ‘Hey do you still have that pocket knife?” he nods “yeah do you need?” “Thanks,” I say. That's one of the things I like about Apollo. He's cool and knows when something is not his business. He hands me the pocket knife examining the tools trying to find what I need, it's a small screw that will be perfect for what I need. I then take out the stone and begin work. I use the screw to dig a hole into the stone then once I’ve done that I take some vines I found on the edge of the woods and twist them into a rope that I weave through the stone. Once I’m done I slip it back into my pocket and stand up and stretch.

Apollo: I don’t know what Percy is doing but I can tell he is good at it. I watch as he stands up, stretches then wades into the water next to Sapphire, I watch as he sneaks up behind her and then splashes her, I watch as she laughs and pushes him in the water before diving in next to him, I watch as he takes out the necklace with the stone he made and presents it to, I watch as she smiles and blushes as he gently ties it around her neck. That’s when I look away because I know that this story won’t have a happy ending. I lay down and look up at the sky listening to Percy and Sapphire splashing in the water under the setting sun.

Hannah: I stare at the bird for a moment then slowly take out my knife, aim carefully then throw. ‘crap” I mutter as I miss the bird and my knife gets stuck in the trunk high up in the tree. I begin to climb the tree and I almost have the knife in my hands when the branch I am on snaps. I cry out as I fall to the ground landing on my head. The world around me goes black.

Cinor: We sit in silence Ash is still ignoring us and Arora is clearly not taking it well. “Come on little bro don’t be stupid, it wasn't worth dying for,” she says desperately “mom would have agreed with me”. 

Ash: I look over at Arora, she is not taking things well her eyes are full of tears “come on little brother I know that you feel that's all you have left of her but that's not true, she gave you your life and she wouldn't have wanted you to lose it for something stupid like that”

Arora: I crawl over so that I am next to him and pull him into a hug. It's going to be ok, when you win the games you can ask the game makers to give it back to you, I am sure they would be happy too.” I have to choke back tears because I know I won't be there with him.

Hannah: When I opened my eyes the sky was dark I sat up weakly and reached for my bag and pulled out the cream, West’s cream. I open it and rub it generously on my head. After I rub the cream on my head I get up and head over to a small tree that looks like it had been a hideout for others before me. After putting on the cream I can’t help thinking of West and how I had no second thoughts on leaving him to die but then I come back to my senses and remember that only one can remain and that will be me. As I think about how good it will feel to stand up on that podium I drift off to sleep not knowing about what is about to go down. 

Percy: We sit quietly, Sapphire leaning on my shoulder sleeping, Apollo humming a tune as he carves in the wood. Suddenly he sits up, "let's make a fire!” I snorted “a fire, did your mentor teach you anything?” “yeah” he argues “but think of it this way we are the strongest people left, the careers are dead and both of you trained, anyone who is smart will stay away from us.” I sigh because he has a point, but in all honesty, I just want him to shut up “ok we can make a fire but I’m not doing it you are” “sure,” he says with a shrug. As he begins to build the fire we talk. “So…” he says awkwardly “how did you to meet?”. “We went to school together” I explain my mind wondering “ I was really good friends with her brother before he passed away…” I trail off. I haven't thought of Fin for a while. “Fin was a good friend, but he was rebellious, he thought the system was unjust and he decided to fight against it, you can guess what happened” “He died?” He asks. “Yeah,” I say with a sigh “One day he disappeared along with both his parents, leaving Sapphire and orphan” “bout that time she started dating Comet”

Apollo: “What!” I snort dropping the wood I had in my arms, as I pick it up I can’t help asking “so she dated your twin??” “yeah,” he says with a sigh “maybe it was because they both lost a lot in there lives she felt like they had something in common” “wait,” I ask Hannah: I wake up to the sun on my face and a bad headache. As I sit up I feel my head and to my surprise, all that is left is a thin line, I can’t help but smile as I stand up and stretch then grab my bag. I ruffle through my bag and pull out a granola bar that I eat hungrily. I finished it off quickly and then threw my bag over my shoulder. I start to head down a small hill and then back up over the next hill hoping to find the other survivors. As I reach the top my stomach growls reminding me of how hungry I am. All I want is for the games to be over so I can go home, I miss my sister more than anything. I want to hold her in my arms and tell her how much I love her. I pulled out a dented picture from my pocket. It's a picture of me and Pearl, whose mother took it a few years ago on her birthday. I trace her face, her curly hair, her big smile. I then folded it up, slipping it into my pocket. confused “what did you, brother, lose?” he is quiet for a moment before saying quietly “when he was 7 he got shot in the leg by a peacekeeper for stealing, he hasn't been able to walk properly since then”. I nod, then try to turn the conversation back towards the earlier topic, “that's sad, very sad, BUT let me get this straight, Sapphire the girl you have been flirting with on national TV dated your twin brother” I laugh, “that’s just messed up” he shrugs “Not really they weren't together long ” I nod but don’t say anything as I drop the wood in a pile at his feet. “Well,” I say as I lean down to light the fire “in my opinion you are doing better than your brother” “thanks,” he says with a sigh.

Hannah: I wake up to the sun on my face and a bad headache. As I sit up I feel my head and to my surprise, all that is left is a thin line, I can’t help but smile as I stand up and stretch then grab my bag. I ruffle through my bag and pull out a granola bar that I eat hungrily. I finished it off quickly and then threw my bag over my shoulder. I start to head down a small hill and then back up over the next hill hoping to find the other survivors. As I reach the top my stomach growls reminding me of how hungry I am. All I want is for the games to be over so I can go home, I miss my sister more than anything. I want to hold her in my arms and tell her how much I love her. I pulled out a dented picture from my pocket. It's a picture of me and Pearl, whose mother took it a few years ago on her birthday. I trace her face, her curly hair, her big smile. I then folded it up, slipping it into my pocket.

Connor: I sit quietly tending to the fire as the sun rises in the sky. The squirrel I caught early cooks nicely over the fire as I turn it on the spike. Ash is still sleeping and I look over at him before turning back to the meat. I am about to take it off of the fire when I hear a snap and a branch falls down almost hitting me in the head. I look up to see Aurora high up in a tree with her bow in hand. I sigh and call “come on Aurora, we already have enough food”. She looks down at me as if deciding what to do then nimbly begins to climb down. As she drops down beside me she lets out a huff “I was not looking for food I was looking for the other tributes”

Aurora: Even though I know he is looking out for me, it’s kind of annoying. I take the stick of the fire and bite into the juicy meat. "That was mine" he complains but I just smile.

Ash: The first thing I hear is the silence no sound except for a few birds, I opened my eyes, my heart beating fast, to my relief I see Arora and Conor sitting by the fire I sit up and am about to say something when I hear the snap of a twig to loud to be an animal. Both Arora and Cinor swing around to look at me but I shake my head telling them it's not me. Before I can do anything Arora runs over to me without a word she throws the blanket over my body through a hole in the blanket I see her covering me with leaves and branches so that I can’t be seen she then whispers “Don’t move no matter what, and don’t forget, I love you” she whispers before running over to Cinor. The two of them stand together Arora with her bow drawn and Conor with a knife out though I think brute force would be much more helpful in his case. My whole body tenses as I see a girl step into the clearing. She has a small gash on her head and a big ax in one hand covered in something red I can only hope is not blood. She looks at us, her eyes skipping over me then steps back to Cinor and Arora. She steps forward and cries out an arrow in her leg.

Apollo: We sit quietly in the water when I hear a cry, I know in a second who it belongs too. It can only be one person, the person I love. I jump up grabbing my sword and run into the woods following the sound. “Wait!” I hear Percy call but I ignore him pushing through the deep underbrush determined to save her.

Percy: Sapphire looks at me “Don’t think about” she growls but I ignore her grabbing my trident “Come on” I say as I run after him “You know he won’t last very long without us” I add over my shoulder knowing she will follow.

Hannah: I reach down and pull the arrow out of my leg with another cry, I throw the arrow to the ground and throw my ax at the girl who shot it, to my surprise she ducks and it flies over her head landing in a tree. I try to make a run for it when I feel someone grabs my arms. I struggle to look behind me and see my captor, he is a big kid and looks super strong, I struggle to escape his grip but to no avail, I kick out desperate to escape but my legs the hit air. I gasp as he grabs my neck letting go of my arms, a choke struggling to get a breath of air. Just as the world starts to spin I hear a crash and the boy drops me.

Cinor: I dropped the girl and stepped over to see what’s going on. Arora draws her bow and steps over next to me. The crashing gets louder as I stand strong my knife in my right and my fist clenched in my left. A boy barges out of the bushes screaming like a madman. I look back to see the girl still catching her breath. I turn back to the boy when two more kids run in. We all freeze silence examining the others. The silence is broken by Aurora's zip as her arrow flashes by my face. It flies towards the girl next to the two boys and makes a thunk sound as it hits the tree missing her by an inch. All of a sudden it's like the war’s been declared. The kids run forward and I start to charge with Arora behind me. “I'll take the bigger boy you get the other two” she nods and we split off. 

* * *

To be continued...

Please let me know what you think :)


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